


In Between Worlds

by Koalagriton



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Leosagi, M/M, battle nexus, leosagi week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 15:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11038674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koalagriton/pseuds/Koalagriton
Summary: Written for Leosagi Week 2017. A story written in 7 drabbles.Leonardo and his family are going to the Battle Nexus Championship for the second time. Leonardo has been preparing for months and can't wait to compete but also to see his friend Usagi again.





	1. Magic

The scratching sounds of chalk on brick echoed in the lair and as Leonardo waited in line with his brothers, he tried not to seem impatient. After what seemed like an eternity, the magic began to infuse the symbols causing his skin to tingle and his breath quickened in anticipation.

 

He breathed deeply to try to calm down though in his mind he knew he shouldn't be overthinking it. There were plenty of reasons to be a little twitchy that his family would find completely normal, like the fact they were competing in the Battle Nexus again this year to de-throne their brother.

 

Raph had been training so much even Leonardo pulled him aside to tell him not to overdo it. Not that it did much good... Raphael had laughed at him thinking it was a joke and waved him off.

 

Leonardo had had a training binge of his own. He let the others believe it was for the same reason as Raph but the truth was he wanted to prove himself to someone: the same person that made his heart beat a little faster as they stepped through the magic of the portal.

 

“Leonardo-san,” he heard from across the room and he couldn't help the way his heart started beating so quickly his vision spotted black for a second.

 

He loved the way Usagi said his name so warmly he could hear the smile in it, his own curling his lips in return. Once again, magic had made their meeting possible and Leonardo would make sure he treasured every minute of their brief time together.


	2. Stars

The festivities leading up to and following the Nexus Tournament are almost as important as the tournament itself. Last year, due to Master Splinter's need to sneak away and the trouble with the Daimyo's son, they weren't able to enjoy any of it. This year, things are much different.

 

“The festivities begin seven days prior to the Championship and seem to only get more extravagant with each passing day. It's specially lively during the night. I'm glad you could come a day early to see it,” Usagi explained to Leo as they walked down the crowded streets.

 

Leonardo nodded as he tried to stay close enough to hear his friend over the call of the street vendors and loud voices around them but not too close so that Usagi would notice the way he was drawn to him.

 

Leoanrdo realised he'd been staring too long when Usagi turned to look at him and smiled, decding to glue his eyes to the little paper cone in his hands to keep it from happening again. Until a while ago it had been filled with little pieces f battered meant covered in a sticky brown sauce, a savoury treat Usagi bought for him to try.

 

It made him feel warm and light-headed when Usagi handed it to him which was silly. It's only food. But Usagi tried this food and thought of him. He was also right, Leonardo really did like it.

 

There was one little bit of battered meat left sitting at the bottom of the cone. The snack was probably cold but he didn't want to eat it yet. Would it be strange if he saved it for later to savour it a little longer after Usagi was gone? Would it be weird if he took it home with him?

 

“Is it not to your taste? You don't have to eat it if you didn't like it,” Usagi asked him suddenly.

 

“N-no!” Leonardo answered a little too loudly. He must have been spacing out staring intently at the food. “I lov-liked them.” He winced internally but couldn't stop the nervous words from coming out, trying too hard to seem casual about things and failing. “I do. Like them, that is. It was really good, I was just... It's not that I don't want it, because I did like it... I was just... saving it.”

 

Usagi's slightly confused expression lifted and softened into a smile. “I thought you would enjoy it, Leonardo-san. It reminded me of you when I tried it.” The admission made Leo's grip on his snack tighten.

 

“Come,” Usagi continued as he pulled a slightly dazed Leonardo by the arm, “there's something else I'd like you to try if you have the appetite.”

 

“I'd... like that.” Leonardo answered, watching the pleased smile on his companion's face and letting himself be pulled through the crowd. His eyes never left the rabbit this time. They might as well have been walking alone under the starry night.


	3. Quiet

With the tournament about to commence, there was a temporary moment of silence in the minutes leading to their pairing off by magic to begin fighting. Then it would probably become a deafening roar as the contenders battled.

 

But for now there was only quiet and anticipation.

 

Usagi stood silently beside Leonardo. His brothers were also there, whispering their predictions excitedly amongst themselves, but his attention was on his friend.

 

He was rubbing the hilt on his sword with his thumb, the only tell Leonardo could see that showed him he was anxious in any way. Leonardo knew he shouldn't be worried, but he was. At this point there really was nothing in his power he could do other than fight whomever was placed in front of him to the best of his ability.

 

He hoped it wouldn't be Usagi. It would mean one of them would have the competition cut short.

 

Well, on the one hand he did want it to be Usagi, then he could show his friend how much he had improved since the last time they'd met. He hoped to perhaps impress him or at the very least they'd be together and he'd have Usagi's eyes, his focus and attention only to himself.

 

Leonardo shook his head to try to dispel those thoughts and try to keep the heat from burning his face. That's not why he was here. He needed to clear his head.

 

“Good luck, Leonardo-san,” Usagi spoke quietly to him and held out his hand.

 

For a moment, Leonardo only stared at it, wanting nothing more than to grasp his friend but instead he lifted his hand slowly. Their palms touched and Usagi's fingers curled around his firmly, pulling him a little closer and grasping him by the arm to talk further in quiet.

 

“I am not sure, my friend, if I want to meet you or not in battle just yet.” Leonardo tried to restrain the sharp intake of air at their close proximity. He could feel Usagi's warm puffs of air against his cheek as he whispered.

 

Nodding, Leonardo delayed his response until he could find his voice. “I do not wish either of us to be the reason the other does not advance in the competition.”

 

“On the contrary!” Usagi answered a little louder as he was released. “If I am to be defeated, Leonardo-san, I would want it to be by you,” Usagi's smile turned sly as he continued, “or perhaps, I would be the one defeating you? I only hope it to be in the finals, yes? Make sure you meet me there."

 

Leonardo only had time to return the smile and nod again before the walls came up.


	4. Wild

The walls in the arena separated Leonardo from Usagi. Turning, he unsheathed one sword and faced his opponent: a Triceraton he'd noticed earlier among the other participants. His adversary grinned as he eyed Leonardo, thinking he had probably been lucky with the pairing. Despite being smaller than Traximus, there was still a considerable size difference. They both knew Leonardo would have to be careful to remain out of the larger reptile's grasp.

 

The combat wasn't going as well as Leo had hoped. Even after being underestimated, Leonardo was struggling to hold his ground. His laser sharp focus was missing, the part of him he relied most on in combat was trained on a different part of the arena on the other side of the wall where he could hear Usagi having a hard time with his own opponent.

 

Every clash of a sword, every grunt or gasp from Usagi had him shifting his attention from his own fight and it was costing him dearly. It didn't take long for the Triceraton in front of him to notice this and he was taking advantage of every tiny mistake to slip past his defences. Leonardo had already taken a couple hits that would have had anyone else without his natural armoured plates out of commission.

 

The sound of a sword clattering on the ground alarmed him and before he could recover completely, he took a glancing blow to the shoulder. Leonardo twisted around with the blow to reduce the damage of the impact, flipping sideways in the air like a cat to gain some space between them but his left arm still felt slightly numb.

 

The Triceraton laughed, enjoying what looked like was going to be an easy win for him.

 

“Little terrapin, you might as well forfeit now and save us both the time,” he taunted through a toothy grin.

 

But Leonardo wasn't listening, all he could hear was the pained yell that could only mean Usagi had received a wound and his friend's laboured breathing.

 

A switch flipped inside his head. He wasn't being useful to anyone like this. He had to end this. Now.

 

The Triceraton must have noticed a change when Leonard shifted his whole focus onto him because even his smile faltered for a second. In the next blink of an eye Leonardo had launched himself into the offensive, punishing his surprised opponent with a rain of wild strikes until he was cornered with his back against the wall.

 

Used to being the one attacking, the Triceraton was too slow to do anything more than block Leo's sword in shock and didn't even notice Leonardo unsheathing his second sword with his left or see it slicing the air in a deadly arch from below, point aimed to impale him through the soft flesh under his chin.

 

His enemy disappeared in a flash of light with a brief look of confusion in his eyes.

 

The cheers from the crowd were deafening but all Leonardo wanted was for them to quiet down so he could listen for his friend... and hope Usagi was okay.


	5. Dance

Leonardo’s sword struck Usagi’s and slid down the length to the hand guard, the sound of scraping metal ringing in his ears. They came together as they both pushed against their weapons, arms shaking with the effort and then jumped back to re-assess the situation.

 

With the quick movement, Usagi’s clothes billowed slightly and drew Leonardo’s eyes to the red stains, scattered like printed flowers on the fabric. Usagi frowned at his scrutiny.

 

Maybe he didn’t like the way the fight was being drawn out. Leonardo had been striking tentatively, testing Usagi’s wounds hidden under his clothing. Logically, he knew that they wouldn’t let Usagi carry on fighting if his wounds were serious but, then again, in the past they’d let his father continue with a broken leg.

 

If only he’d been able to see Usagi during the break, maybe his concerns would have been assuaged but the rabbit had been nowhere to be found once the walls came down. He’d inquired about Usagi’s condition but they’d only been able to tell him that he was being tended to by the healers and could not be interrupted. To his surprise, the lots for the semi-finals had been interrupted in time to allow Usagi to rejoin.

 

And now they had to fight.

 

“Leonardo-san,” Usagi brought him out of his thoughts with a stern voice, “when are you going to take this fight seriously?”

 

Called out on his behaviour, Leonardo lowered his swords.

 

“Usagi...” Leonardo replied, his voice thick with apprehension.

 

“Do you think so little of me, Leonardo-san?” Usagi interrupted, “am I so weak that some scratches have you treating me this way?”

 

Leonardo lowered his head and shook it. He couldn’t help but worry, didn’t want his friend to be hurt on his account. If only Usagi had known how desperately Leonardo had fought to be able to go to him only to be blocked by the walls. He’d attempted to scale them but the a watery shield had prevented him from doing so.

 

Usagi must have read some of that despair in his face because his knit brow smoothed out into a contemplative gaze. “Then fight me and allow me to keep my honour.”

 

Mind made up, Leonardo decided to grant Usagi his wish. He needed to trust his friend’s judgement though it went against his instincts.

 

To prove his word, Leonardo went on the offensive. He still avoided what he believed was Usagi’s wounded shoulder, but they clashed together in a rapid dance of blades. If Usagi noticed the small mercy, he didn’t show it as he fought back.

 

Their match didn’t last much longer, Usagi was still wounded and tired quickly with Leonardo’s onslaught. Soon, Leonardo found an opening for a winning strike, Usagi’s content and thankful smile the last thing he saw before he disappeared in a flash of light.


	6. Memories

The air felt electric as the audience cheered and called out to him and his opponent. The noise abated as soon as drums began in the distance and a voice started to introduce them, the finalists. There was a bit more pomp and show surrounding the event this year. Last year instead of the commentator and music, the Daimyo’s son had been announcing his father’s imminent death right about now.

 

Somewhere along the line, his brothers had been defeated in combat. Michaelangelo and Raphael were taken out surprisingly early in the competition. That was what happened when you did so well last year and you are up against challengers who’ve studied your fighting style and weaknesses to face you specifically.

 

A familiar “whoop!” had Leonardo scanning the multitude for Mikey and his family but there were too many people. He inhaled slowly, closed his eyes and tried to filter the sounds while he waited as way of relaxing. He could practically hear his family’s encouraging cheers in his head, knew them well enough to know what they’d tell him if they were here.

 

“Good luck, Leonardo-san.” A soft voice carried over the din to him as if whispered in his ear and Leonardo opened his eyes wide and whipped his head around in that direction.

 

As much as he looked he couldn’t find Usagi and the fight was about to start. Leonardo wasn’t sure if it had been his mind playing tricks on him but in that moment he felt certain that Usagi’s attention, his eyes, would be on him now.

 

Leonardo tried to dissipate the tension in his shoulders at the thought. He felt the twinge of a pressure to perform he hadn’t felt so strongly since he was a child, afraid of letting his father down, wanting only to be seen doing his best. Wanting to be looked at with pride.

 

Breathing in slowly once more Leonardo reigned those feelings back in. He was lo longer a child. He’d fought alongside Usagi many times as an equal, facing terrible odds they’d overcome with their own skill and by being together.

 

Drawing strength from those memories and the whispered words, whether imagined or real, Leonardo bowed to his opponent and prepared to demonstrate the results of his training.


	7. Free

Celebrations over his victory had taken up most of the evening and part of the night. At this hour, Leonardo’s family had all gone off at some point either to look for more partying or for rest. Only Usagi was left with him, his father had left only minutes ago after another proud smile and a warm pat on his shoulder.

 

The cup of tea was warm in his hands, almost as much as the flush in Leonardo’s cheeks. It was partly due to the sake he indulged in with his family but mostly due to their proximity. Their knees were touching as they sat cross-legged in a private corner of the tea-house and he could feel the heat of Usagi’s skin through the rough fabric of his hakama despite its thickness.

 

“Leonardo-san,” Usagi began as he leaned towards the turtle. He placed a hand on Leonardo’s arm to get his attention, as if it wasn’t completely his already. “You must try on your victor’s crown again. At the ceremony you were too far for me to see you properly.”

 

Leonardo did what he thought was a good job of hiding his fluster, smiling at Usagi’s proposition and taking a measured sip of tea. When Usagi said nothing more Leonardo realised, to his embarrassment, that he was actually waiting for him.

 

“I-I uh… o-okay,” Leonardo responded, wincing internally at his stuttering as he reached behind him for the laurel wreath.

 

It didn’t really fit right on him even if it was the correct size, he’d already felt a bit awkward wearing it at the award ceremony. He supposed it was because it was meant for someone with ears to hold it up because it kept slipping forward onto his snout when he moved, like it did just then.

 

Leonardo didn’t expect the soft press of lips against his mouth as he was readjusting the wreath on his head. It was over almost as soon as he’d felt it there and all he could do for a moment was blink in surprise and stare at Usagi.

 

The only thing that stopped him from becoming a mess of stuttering and shyness was the pensive look Usagi wore on his face. It made Leonardo stop to make sure he hadn’t imagined it all and wonder if in that brief second he’d done something wrong. All he was left with was a vague feeling of confused happiness (more confused than happy) and a tingling on his lips as the only proof that the kiss ever happened.

 

Usagi was frowning as he stared down at the cup in his hands, as if he were trying to find an answer in the liquid.

 

“Sometimes,” he said quietly without looking up, “I wish we were free to do as we wanted.”

 

The words stopped Leonardo’s mind short and something similar to fear began to settle in his stomach because why would he say that unless he was going to be rejected. Maybe he’d been too obvious about his feelings and this was Usagi’s way to let him down gently.

 

“If only we weren’t burdened with responsibility,” he continued, “weighted with our duties, we’d be able to follow our hearts without constraints.”

 

Leonardo had to look away when Usagi met his gaze, lowering his head so the crown tipped forward and hid his eyes from view and not bothering to adjust it. He knew he should be meeting him head on, he owed his friend that even if it was difficult. But right then he needed to shield himself from what was coming even if it was cowardly.

 

Usagi’s warm hand covered his, the soft fur tickling his knuckles and Leonardo couldn’t help but close his eyes to relish the feeling even if he knew what would come after.

 

Usagi was right, after all, even if he actually returned his feelings neither of them were in a position to follow them. After tonight they’d both return to their dimensions and continue with their obligations. Neither of them would ever abandon their responsibilities. He’d been foolish to think anything could come of this.

 

They sat this way in silence for a while, Usagi gently tracing Leonardo’s scarred knuckles as they let time go by before either of them spoke.

 

“Perhaps,” Usagi finally sighed as he held Leonardo’s hand a little firmer, “this could be enough?”

 

The question made Leonardo look up to find hope in the rabbit’s eyes and possibly, if he wasn’t imagining things, desire. He turned his hand so their palms were pressed together and nodded, emotion choking his words before they could make it to his mouth.

 

If Usagi would have him he’d love him fiercely, give him everything he had and then wait for him patiently until they could meet again. It would be more than enough for him. More than he’d ever hoped for.

 

“We’ll just have to make the most of our time together.” Tugging on their joined hands Usagi pulled him closer, their lips brushing as he spoke in hushed tones before Leonardo closed the distance and sealed their mouths together.

 

Tomorrow they’d be heading back to their dimensions and their lives away from each other to love and long in private and at a distance. But tonight they’d be free.


End file.
